Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

Suppressor on Hunting Rifle

I totally get the utility but, no can do. I seriously do not recall a shot on game that rang my ears... but full disclosure, football helmets had already sealed the ringing deal.
 
I think if a guy builds his rifle right, you wouldn’t notice any change in balance of the rifle. 30338 is on the right track with his. I don’t carry my suppressor into the woods often but I sure love shooting with it one there. I keep toying with the idea of cutting on my 6.5 barrels down to 16-18” just for this reason.
 
Do you go through your doctor or are these OTC? I have my headset that amplifies ambient and muffles high decibel noise however would not wear in the field. I take it these are small units.
Walkers game ears. You can buy them from many online retailers.
They have nice little ear buds.
 
Soundgear also makes good products, both in cheaper one size fits all and in custom formed. I love mine for bird hunting where shots come up too quickly to add ear plugs and can’t walk around deaf all day. Soundgear is made by a major hearing aid company so quality of sound is really good.
 
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If you're getting hearing loss from shooting at big game without hearing protection...head to the range and practice more (with hearing protection).

Fired 6 rounds this year hunting...6 dead critters.

I'm hoping to go deaf from shooting big-game without hearing protection...just sayin'.

No comment on suppressors, haven't shot one, know nothing about them.
 
If you're getting hearing loss from shooting at big game without hearing protection...head to the range and practice more (with hearing protection).

Fired 6 rounds this year hunting...6 dead critters.

I'm hoping to go deaf from shooting big-game without hearing protection...just sayin'.

No comment on suppressors, haven't shot one, know nothing about them.
When was the last time you sat in the hearing test booth?
 
If you're getting hearing loss from shooting at big game without hearing protection...head to the range and practice more (with hearing protection).
How is this statement true? I fired 2 shots at big game this fall and killed 2 animals... Now I'm not 100% sure that my hearing loss is from shooting but there's a good chance it could be. I shot a deer out of a box stand, muzzle brake + Box stand = really loud
 
If you're getting hearing loss from shooting at big game without hearing protection...head to the range and practice more (with hearing protection).

Fired 6 rounds this year hunting...6 dead critters.

I'm hoping to go deaf from shooting big-game without hearing protection...just sayin'.

No comment on suppressors, haven't shot one, know nothing about them.

I have worked with and met a lot of people with hearing loss and all of them say they they wish they would have worn hearing protection.

It sucks your quality of life away.

Having to ask everyone to repeat what they are saying over and over again.

A few words that people with hearing loss have difficulty hearing.

This - You will hear the TH, but then have to guess which TH word it is.

Taste - You will have trouble hearing the T and the ST sounds. Which makes this word effectively useless to anyone using it in conversation when talking to you.

House - You will have trouble hearing the H and S sounds, which once again leaves you guessing.

First - You will have trouble hearing the F and ST sounds, which will sound like mumbled nonsense when someone says it to you.

Depending on what frequency of the hearing loss you can have trouble hearing CH, SH, P, H, G, K, F, TH, and S sounds.

Any words with those frequencies, you will hear the teacher from the peanuts speaking to you. Wah Wah Wah Wah.

It is not something that you want to be macho about.

A bad tattoo you can remove, but bad hearing as of right now is for life.

Firearms have a dB of 140-190, which can cause instant hearing loss even with one shot.

I would reccommend to at least have one HP in your opposite ear at all times when shooting a shotgun or rifle.

If you are right handed, then your left ear.

If you are left handed, then your right ear

Other options are

  • Canal Caps - plastic bands with push in plugs
  • Push in corded plugs
  • Push in uncorded plugs in a pocket
  • Muffs
  • Game Ears or electronic ear pro
  • Suppressor
 
If you're getting hearing loss from shooting at big game without hearing protection...head to the range and practice more (with hearing protection).

Fired 6 rounds this year hunting...6 dead critters.

I'm hoping to go deaf from shooting big-game without hearing protection...just sayin'.
You’ve given us all a lot of great info/advice over the years, but medicine and science strongly disagree with you on this one.
 
It's backwards though. But it could be from the sound bouncing off the walls of the box stand. I shoot left handed and it's my left ear that's messed up.
 
From someone who has lost a lot of hearing.

protect it...the method is up to you.
I like the electronic option since it helps me hear as well.

there wasn’t anything I really could do to protect my hearing in combat. I’m hearing aid dependent and have constant ringing. It’s not fun.
 
Can you elaborate for me on how this can ruin the crown of your rifle?
From a big gun dealer in the UK offers the following advice, he showed me the gun in question, yep it was ruined
Important notes for the proper care and maintenance of moderator and rifle barrel
I have noticed an ever-increasing number of moderated rifles with severe damage caused by incorrect maintenance/usage of the sound moderator. At worst, 12-month-old rifles that are scrap!

Let me explain; When you use a centrefire moderator the burnt powder leaves a chemical deposit in the moderator, often Ammonia-based; This toxic deposit can easily chemically erode both the moderator AND the rifle barrel, to the point of irreversible damage, unless the correct care is taken.

The worst circumstance is to use the rifle and then simply place back in the cabinet with the moderator still fitted.. The toxins inside the moderator will A) erode the moderator from the inside-out until the point where the mod is ruined, and B), will gradually erode both the crown and bore of the rifle, ultimately losing both accuracy and financial value! (One should also consider that water is produced as a by-product of burning rifle powder, and so leaving this moisture/condensation present inside a metal moderator, itself inside a possibly cold metal Gun cabinet, doesn't really help matters here...)

The worst example I have seen was a 1-year old rifle (let's not embarrass anyone here with names) that was externally immaculate, and had fired 50 to 60 rounds only. I was to take it in part-exchange but couldn't because the crown was completely gas-eroded and the bore was incredibly badly pitted for the last 2" of the muzzle end of the barrel. The owner was distraught when I showed him the physical damage, but freely admitted that he had not (EVER) removed the moderator since buying the rifle new! He now knows how to look after his kit... It only cost him ?1050 for the lesson...
 
From a big gun dealer in the UK offers the following advice, he showed me the gun in question, yep it was ruined
Important notes for the proper care and maintenance of moderator and rifle barrel
I have noticed an ever-increasing number of moderated rifles with severe damage caused by incorrect maintenance/usage of the sound moderator. At worst, 12-month-old rifles that are scrap!

Let me explain; When you use a centrefire moderator the burnt powder leaves a chemical deposit in the moderator, often Ammonia-based; This toxic deposit can easily chemically erode both the moderator AND the rifle barrel, to the point of irreversible damage, unless the correct care is taken.

The worst circumstance is to use the rifle and then simply place back in the cabinet with the moderator still fitted.. The toxins inside the moderator will A) erode the moderator from the inside-out until the point where the mod is ruined, and B), will gradually erode both the crown and bore of the rifle, ultimately losing both accuracy and financial value! (One should also consider that water is produced as a by-product of burning rifle powder, and so leaving this moisture/condensation present inside a metal moderator, itself inside a possibly cold metal Gun cabinet, doesn't really help matters here...)

The worst example I have seen was a 1-year old rifle (let's not embarrass anyone here with names) that was externally immaculate, and had fired 50 to 60 rounds only. I was to take it in part-exchange but couldn't because the crown was completely gas-eroded and the bore was incredibly badly pitted for the last 2" of the muzzle end of the barrel. The owner was distraught when I showed him the physical damage, but freely admitted that he had not (EVER) removed the moderator since buying the rifle new! He now knows how to look after his kit... It only cost him ?1050 for the lesson...
With literally thousands of guns going through my hands and my business...I have never seen this....except with corrosive surplus ammo.
 
Loss of hearing as a bragging point about one's hunting is just plain foolish.

BcGunworks knows of what he speaks. One shot will do ya. Another shot will do ya some more.

Some people don't hear well, some people don't listen. Those that don't listen well will soon be not hearing well. And I feel sorry for their friends and family (but not them), 'cuz it is REALLY aggravating to have to continually deal with half-deaf or worse people. Ask my wife.
 
Like I said, if I go deaf from firing big game rifles at big game...good for me, should have the 2nd ark filled by then.

I own stock in hearing aid companies.

You are typically a person on this forum that I highly respect. I’ve learned a lot from what you’ve written on this forum and usually appreciate your contribution but I must say, you sound like a f***ing moron right now. Nobody is talking about going deaf. There are thousands of people with firearm related hearing loss that are not deaf and I’d just about put money on the fact that you’re one of them. You may not notice it, but chances are you have some hearing loss due to your time afield. There are a lot of parts on our body that can be fixed, but not our eyes and ears. Why would we not want to protect them the best we can?
 
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